Oakland University Senate

10th Meeting
April 20, 1972

MINUTES
 

PRESENT: A quorum
ABSENT: Ms Hirschfeld, Titus; Messrs. Barthel, Becker, Brieger, Coon, Dahlmann, Dovaras, Evarts, Gaylor, Gibson, Glass, Harding, Haskell, Hill, Hough, Howes, P.J. Johnson, Mittra, Susskind, and Woodard.

President O'Dowd called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

Mr. McKay, seconded by Mr. Obear, moved to approve the minutes of March 28th and April 5th meetings which had been circulated. Mr. McKay commented favorably on the increase in verbiage shown in the minutes. Mr. Davis modestly replied that it merely represented the increased verbiage at the meetings.

The minutes were then approved.

A. OLD BUSINESS (Continuation of the April 12th Agenda.)

Item A.5. The motion to discontinue the use of Freshman Exploratories to teach writing and to substitute a proficiency standard were then considered. Mr. Witt exercised the mover's prerogative of introducing minor revisions informally, and revised paragraph a.i. to read:

A GENERAL EDUCATION COMPONENT SET BY THE COLLEGE OR SCHOOL CONCERNED AND REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE UNIVERSITY SENATE, AND PROVISION FOR MEETING THE UNIVERSITY STANDARDS OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

Mr. Heubel, seconded by Mr. Marz, moved to substitute the UNIVERSITY STANDARD (singular) for STANDARDS wherever it appears in this motion. Adopted.

Mr. Witt pointed out that section a.i, was a revision of the second paragraph of Motion A.3. adopted at the March 28, 1972 Senate Meeting. Several senators questioned the distinction between program requirements and degree requirements. Mr. Davis explained that program requirements are constraints upon the framers of the various curricula leading to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. Degree requirements are constraints upon students who are candidates for such degrees.

The main motion was then adopted.

* a) THAT THE PORTION OF THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREES DEALING WITH GENERAL EDUCATION BE AMENDED TO READ:

i) A GENERAL EDUCATION COMPONENT SET BY THE COLLEGE OR SCHOOL CONCERNED AND REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE UNIVERSITY SENATE, AND PROVISION FOR MEETING THE UNIVERSITY STANDARD OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

b) THAT THE USE OF FRESHMAN EXPLORATORIES TO TEACH WRITING BE DISCONTINUED.

c) THAT PROCEDURES AND UNIVERSITY STANDARD FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION BE ESTABLISHED, THE PROCEDURES AND STANDARD TO BE ARRIVED AT BY A COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE.

Item A.6. The motion to establish a Department of Composition was then introduced; the discussion began with a consideration of various amendments which had been offered. Mr. Tomboulian opened the negotiations by offering to withdraw his amendment (b) to change the name to the "Department of Communication Skills" if Dean Matthews would agree to drop the word "Development" from his suggested name (a.) Their tentative agreement was then ratified by a vote of the membership, and the name of the proposed department was changed to "The Department of Learning Skills.

Mr. Shantz and Mr. Marz expressed concern that there would be overlapping responsibilities and little coordination of activities between this department and the Academic Support Center. Mr. Appleton assured the Senate that he would make every effort to insure that there would be cooperation and coordination.

Amendment c) was then considered. Discussion centered around the propriety of subjecting this department to the review process proposed in this amendment when other departments are not subject to such reviews. Mr. Obear commented that he intended to begin review processes on one or more departments or academic units under his jurisdiction each year, and suggested that this legislation was not necessary or should at least be offered as a separate motion. Mr. Torgoff suggested that the evaluation should be conducted by the faculty of the Learning Skills Department themselves. Mr. Cherno then suggested that Mr. Torgoff had perhaps moved to amend the Schillace amendment by striking the second paragraph and substituting the words "by the faculty of the Learning Skills Department" for the words "by a team of appropriate University faculty's staff" in the first paragraph. Mr. Torgoff agreed that that was indeed what he had said, and the motion was seconded by Mr. Powell. The Torgoff amendment failed with 12 positive votes (15 positive votes required). The original Schillace amendment was then voted upon, and It also failed with 11 positive votes.

Amendments d) and e) were then withdrawn by their movers Mr. Matthews and Mr. Russell respectively, and Mr. Obear, seconded by Mr. Hetenyi, moved to strike the phrase "within the College of Arts and Sciences" from the motion. This amendment was adopted.

Messrs. Cherno and Russell inquired as to who would advise the administration on matters of the location of this department, faculty appointment policies and review, and course approval. Dean Matthews offered a "Sense of the Senate" resolution recommending that the Academic Policy Committee and the University Tenure and Appointment Policy Committee serve in these capacities, and this resolution was entered by unanimous consent into the minutes:

''That until such time as the Department of Learning Skills may be administratively located in an organized faculty, the following shall obtain:

a) "The University Senate will request of the University Tenure and Appointment Policy Committee that it serve as a Committee on Appointments for faculty review of appointments, re-appointments, promotions, and grant of tenure."

b) "That the Academic Policy Committee of the University Senate will serve in lieu of a Committee on Instruction for curriculum and academic program."

Mr. Witt, seconded by Dean Hetenyi, moved to add two additional sections to the motion:

vi) THE COORDINATION OF TUTORIAL WORK FOR CREDIT

vii) THE COORDINATION OF COURSES OFFERED BY ACADEMIC UNITS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DEVELOP ACADEMIC SKILLS. A STUDENT MAY PRESENT 16 CREDITS IN SUCH WORK AND IN TUTORIAL COURSES TOWARD GRADUATION.

After considerable discussion as to exactly what was included in the 16 credits limitation, Mr. Witt withdrew that sentence entirely, agreed to reconsider the 16 credit limit, and to offer a revised motion at the next Senate meeting. Final action on the main motion was deferred until the next meeting.

B. NEW BUSINESS

In view of the apparent intention of the Senate to adjourn forthwith, motions 1, 2, and 3 were hastily moved by Mr. Witt and seconded by Mr. Obear to accomplish the first reading; an opportunity for full debate will be offered in the second reading.

Meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

Submitted by: James E. Davis
Secretary, University Senate

*Motions and amendments adopted at this meeting.